MOSCOW, March 23. /TASS/. The development of relations between Russia and the EU states is in everyone’s interest, this is why Moscow hopes that the will for such dialogue will prevail in Brussels, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.
"We are deeply convinced that despite everything, the development of relations between Russia and EU member states on a bilateral basis and between Russia and Brussels as the EU is in the interest of Russians and Europeans alike, considering that Russians are essentially European, they are an integral part of Europe," the spokesman said, expressing hope that "sooner or later, this political will may break through the blank wall of misunderstanding" that can be observed in Brussels right now.
He noted that Russia and the EU used to have very abundant relations that were then broken off on EU’s initiative. "It was never Moscow's decision," Peskov said. He pointed out that Russia continues bilateral dialogue with EU member states. "And we hope to continue this dialogue further, it is necessary to regulate the differences that we have, it is impossible to regulate them without dialogue. Of course, in this regard, unfortunately, the EU is not a close partner of ours right now, simply because it froze the relations between Brussels and Moscow," he added.
Commenting on the recent statements of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the issues in the relations between Russia and the EU, Peskov noted that it is also important that Lavrov highlighted Moscow’s readiness to build good relations with Brussels on an equal basis.